Author: johnrobertson834

Retired Professor of Media Politics Not-for-profit independent political analysis
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Delayed ferry deserves politicising but not in Cornwall, only in Scotland

johnrobertson834

Yesterday, a further two-month delay for the MV Glen Sannox was a matter for comment by the Conservative opposition on BBC Scotland’s website. We got all of this: Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson MSP said the latest delay was “yet another huge blow to Scotland’s betrayed island communities”. He added: “It means that – after testing – another whole summer season will have gone by without desperately-needed new CalMac vessels being in operation, thanks to the SNP’s monumental incompetence. “That’s another peak holiday season for hotels, restaurants and businesses completely at the mercy of a decrepit fleet that simply … Continue reading Delayed ferry deserves politicising but not in Cornwall, only in Scotland

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For Scotland, just an additional propaganda source

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by NMRN I have stated many a time on here that the introduction of specific right wing rogue news channels being granted a licence to broadcast in the UK, was for Scotland, just an additional propaganda source….and thus surplus to requirement. The MSM, via televised news within Scotland, were already, as a media, ones that continually stated exactly the very same points, same adopted language and also opposition against independence and too against the SNP as a political party…..which these new rogue news channels have also been promoting on both of their channels via their presenters and guests. We also saw and still see … Continue reading For Scotland, just an additional propaganda source

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Sir Professor John Curtice lies barefaced about NHS Scotland and comes out as fully Labour

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By Professor John Robertson In the Telegraph today, Sir Professor John Curtice, Cornwall and Oxford, utterly evidence free, tells us: Over the last two months, polls for this year’s Westminster election have on average put the party on just 33 per cent, twelve points down on 2019, and only neck and neck with a revived Labour party. and Meanwhile, voters are seemingly taking more notice of the SNP’s much criticised record in government, not least on the health service. Really? I’ll leave the notion that Scottish Labour are in any way ‘revived’ as opposed to on life support from Pacific … Continue reading Sir Professor John Curtice lies barefaced about NHS Scotland and comes out as fully Labour

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America’s Sellafield and the near impossibility of proving a cancer is the result of life in a ‘contaminated environment’

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By Professor John Robertson I hadn’t heard of an equivalent nuclear-reprocessing plant to Sellafield – ‘the most toxic site in Europe’ – only a few miles from the Scottish border and with regular leaks of radioactive material into the air and water flows heading north, constantly. According to US writer Shannon Cram, author of the just published Unmaking the Bomb, above, most Americans are unaware that a site, like Sellafield, had produced weapons-grade plutonium and now houses the majority of the nations’ high-level nuclear waste. Hanford Nuclear Reservation is eerily placed, like Sellafield, about as far away from the Capital … Continue reading America’s Sellafield and the near impossibility of proving a cancer is the result of life in a ‘contaminated environment’

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No evidence of deliberate misreporting of overflow data by Scottish Water 

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By Professor John Robertson Typically Anglocentric or should that be Britocentric (?), the Guardian has the above headline and: Exclusive: Whistleblowers point to broader sewage scandal, with wastewater systems manipulated to divert sewage. Whistleblowers say UK water companies are knowingly failing to treat legally required amounts of sewage, and that some treatment works are manipulating wastewater systems to divert raw sewage away from the works and into rivers and seas. It is well known that water companies are dumping large volumes of raw sewage into rivers and seas from storm overflows but an investigation by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations reveals that the … Continue reading No evidence of deliberate misreporting of overflow data by Scottish Water 

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Wildlife crime falls but it’s not news for you in their media

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From the Scottish Government today: The Chief Statistician for Scotland has released figures for Wildlife Crime in Scotland 2022. The statistics show that recorded wildlife crime was down by 7% from 308 offences in 2020-21 to 286 offences in 2021-22. The report shows that there were noticeable decreases in recorded crime for fish poaching (from 110 to 49 offences) and hunting with dogs (from 44 to 13 offences). Publication of Wildlife Crime in Scotland 2022 – gov.scot (www.gov.scot) BBC Scotland have no wildlife stories other than the fascinating, I’m sure, Will technology silence the shout auction at Peterhead fish market? Continue reading Wildlife crime falls but it’s not news for you in their media

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News you won’t hear on climate change – actually doing something?

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You won’t see this on BBC Scotland – Murrell! Murrell! Sturgeon! Murrell, more ferry delays…. Nor on BBC Scotland Business – climate change targets scrapped (lie), bank closures, shouting at fish markets….no Murrell….isn’t embezzlement a kind of business? From the Scottish Government today: The Scottish Government is stepping up action to tackle climate change with a suite of new policies on transport, including increasing the number of electric vehicle chargers, and land use. The increase in charging points comes as part of a wider climate package that also includes an integrated ticketing system which can be used across all public transport. … Continue reading News you won’t hear on climate change – actually doing something?

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England’s primary schools heading back to pre-War class sizes under Conservative or Labour governments

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From the Guardian today: English primary schools cutting teacher numbers amid budget pressure, survey finds. A survey of more than 1,000 school leaders and teachers by the National Foundation for Educational Research found that three-quarters said their primary schools were cutting teaching assistant roles, while a third were also cutting teacher numbers. From GOV.UK in November 2023, pupil-teacher ratios: Any class-teachers out these will be shouting things like ‘I’ve got 30’ and ‘I’ve never had fewer than 25’, and so on. That’s because the above ratios take into account promoted staff with no or reduced class-contact times, so in Scotland, … Continue reading England’s primary schools heading back to pre-War class sizes under Conservative or Labour governments

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The Bradford gang that tried to spread misery into Auchinleck?

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I have a google alert for ‘county lines.’ Every day I get links to media reports on that, across England and Wales. I haven’t had one by a Scottish media outlet. BBC Scotland have not mentioned them since 2021, and only once then. From Yorkshire Live today: Bradford gang spread misery and class As in huge county lines operation. A Bradford county lines gang who spread drugs and misery throughout a town and city in East Yorkshire has been jailed. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bradford-gang-spread-misery-class-161742927.html ‘Bradford’ reminded me of the November 2023 ‘riots’ in Auchinleck and Cumnock (East Ayrshire) and the local reports ignored by the media: and: … Continue reading The Bradford gang that tried to spread misery into Auchinleck?

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£15bn for Thames Water – just charge 10% to our Scottish colony says Westminster?

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Open Forum By Professor John Robertson In the voice of Paul Merton: An open forum? We’ve never had one of those before! The report from the Guardian above, prompted a friend of TuS to ask the above question. Now, if you want to argue about education or media effects, maybe these days, health, crime and transport, I’m up for that, but the economy? For some reason, my brain won’t go there with any conviction. However, I know, based on the evidence of comments over the last 10 years in TuSland, that you lot are smart, perhaps even ‘qualified’, perhaps (better?) … Continue reading £15bn for Thames Water – just charge 10% to our Scottish colony says Westminster?